Nidzica Castle, formerly known as Neidenburg, is a 14th-century

brick Gothic Brick Gothic (, , ) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Baltic region, Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resources of standing rock (though Glacial erratic, ...

Teutonic castle located in the town of

Nidzica Nidzica (; formerly ; ; ) is a town in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship of Poland, lying between Olsztyn and Mława, in Masuria. The capital of Nidzica County, its population in 2017 was 13,872. History The settlement was originally founded by O ...

, Poland. The construction of the castle was begun around 1370. The Pfleger of the Teutonic Knights made it his residence in 1409. On 12 July 1410, the undefended castle was captured by the Polish forces on their way into the interior of the

State of the Teutonic Order The State of the Teutonic Order () was a theocratic state located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It was formed by the knights of the Teutonic Order during the early 13th century Northern Crusades in the region ...

. At the time of the Hunger War of 1414 the castle was put under siege by the Polish knights and taken after eight days on the 6th of July. In 1454 the castle was occupied by the Prussian Union and in February 1455 was taken by the Czech army led by Jan Kolda ze Zampachu, who had repulsed an attack an by the forces of the Teutonic Knights on 28 April. In 1517 the inner ward was built up and reinforced. In 1784 a fire consumed the inner ward. In 1812 the castle was devastated by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's French forces. The castle was rebuilt from 1828 to 1830 into a court and a prison. In 1945, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Soviet army bombarded the castle. In the aftermath of the Potsdam Conference, the area was ceded to Poland and the German name of Neidenburg was changed to Nidzica; much of the castle remained in ruins until reconstruction between 1961 and 1965.

References

The castle in Nidzica
Castles of the Teutonic Knights Castles in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship {{Poland-castle-stub

See also

References